IOT based neonatal incubator for the developing world and conflict zones

The aim of this research is to develop a low-cost neonatal incubator unit with IOT functionality for use in the developing world and conflict zones which currently see 99% of all neonatal deaths due to the financial constraints in the regions preventing the adoption of conventional incubator units. The proposed system incorporated the development of a functional neonatal incubator unit incorporating various biometric sensors for assessment of the infant’s condition through the use of an IOT application developed using the Blynk IOT platform. The performance of the developed proposed system is evaluated by testing the system’s ability to create a desired microclimate within the incubator enclosure as well as assessing the accuracy of the biometric sensors used. It is observed that the incubator system is capable of creating the desired microclimate. The biometric sensors used are observed to produce comparable results to measurement taken simultaneously on medical grade equivalents. Tests conducted show the system achieves an extreme case humidity of 95% within a 5-minute period and autonomously maintain a humidity within the 90-95% range. The integration of the monitoring system with the low-cost incubator, and the numerous biometric sensors used produced a proposed system not presently available as determined by the literature reviewed.